Fence structure

ABSTRACT

A fence structure equipped with an ascension barricade that includes fixed lateral wire supporting members has a gate which opens and closes by horizontal movements in a vertical plane and which is equipped with a gate ascending barricade that can be pivotally moved about a horizontal axis to a position at which it will avoid encountering the fixed lateral wire supporting members during opening and closing movements of the gate. Means are also shown for locking the gate supported barricade in its ascension barricading position and for simultaneously locking the gate in its closed position.

United States Patent [191 Ford [ 1 Jan. 21, 1975 FENCE STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Francis L. Ford, 1110 Raymond Avenue, Fort Pierce, Fla. 33450 22 Filed: Jan. 7, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 431,145

[52] U.S. C1 49/427, 49/404, 256/12 [51] Int. Cl E05d 13/00 [58] Field of Search 49/427, 426, 404, 358, 49/360; 256/11, 12

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 861,559 7/1907 Trost 256/12 1,020,488 3/1912 Friend 49/427 1,703,189 2/1929 1,722,365 7/1929 3,775,906 12/1973 Dougherty 49/427 X Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Roger L. Martin [57] ABSTRACT A fence structure equipped with an ascension barricade that includes fixed lateral wire supporting members has a gate which opens and closes by horizontal movements in a vertical plane and which is equipped with a gate ascending barricade that can be pivotally moved about a horizontal axis to a position at which it will avoid encountering the fixed lateral wire supporting members during opening and closing movements of the gate. Means are also shown for locking the gate supported barricade in its ascension barricading position and for simultaneously locking the gate in its closed position.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FENCE STRUCTURE This invention relates to an improved fence structure and more particularly to an improved barricade to the ascension of a gate component of the structure.

Fences that are used to enclose industrial work and equipment storage areas are usually equipped with an ascension barricade that serves to deter entry to the enclosed area by thieves and would be trespassers by the simple expedient of climbing the fence' The barricades in current use generally fall into two categories. In one category the fence posts and gates are equipped with barbed wire support arms that suspend the barbed wire. above and in the same general plane as the wire mesh fabric that extends between the fence posts. In the other category the barbed wire strands are supported laterally of the general plane of the wire mesh fabric on wire support arms that are inclined to the general plane of the fabric.

Barricades falling in the second category provide the greatest deterrent to a trespasser but they impose certain limitations on the types of gates that may be used. For one, if the barbed wire is laterally supported only at one side of the fence, a pivotally mounted gate may be used and equipped with a similar barricade that involves laterally supported barbed wire at the same side. Under such circumstances however, the gate must be swung open and closed at the side opposite the wire support arms in order to avoid collision between and damage to the wire support arms that are mounted on the gate and gate posts at the hinged side of the gate structure. Furthermore, when a rollaway or cantilever type gate that opens and closes by movements in a plane parallel to that of the wire mesh fabric is desired in the structure, any gate ascension barricade that involves wire supporting arms that extend laterally at the same side as the barricading components on the fixed portion of the fence must be so positioned on the gate as to either pass beneath or above the barricading portion on the fixed fence structure during opening and closing movements of the gate. This is sometimes less than satisfactory in that it provides for a substantial gap between the adjacent wire support arms on the gate and fence post when the gate is closed and through which a would be trespasser can pass without encountering the supported barbed wire.

The best trespasser deterring barricade structure involves the use of laterally supported barbed wire at both sides of the fence structure. Such barricading arrangements have as a practical matter precluded the use of rollaway and so-called cantilever type gates that are equipped with effective ascension barricades, and the usual practice is to employ a hinged gate which is equipped with a barricade of the first category in order to open and close the gate without interference from the laterally extending wire support arms that are mounted on the hinge bearing posts in the fence structure. This type of arrangement is, of course, less than satisfactory when it comes to providing a barricading structure in the gate area. Additionally the use of pivotally mounted gates is precluded in many instances by space limitations in the enclosed area.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved gate ascension barricade in a fence structure having fixed components that are equipped with an ascension barricade. One particular object is to provide an improved gate ascension barricade for gates of the rollaway and cantilever types which are moved between their open and closed positions in planes that are generally parallel to the plane of the fixed components of the fence structure. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved gate ascension barricade for gates of the rollaway and cantilever type and which can be used with fixed fence structures that have lateral wire supporting arms.

In accord with the invention, a fence structure that is equipped with an ascension barricade having later ally extending wire supporting arms is provided with a gate that opens and closes by movements in a plane that is parallel with that common to the adjacent fixed components of the structure. The gate is equipped with a lateral wire supporting assembly which is pivotally movable between a gate ascension barricading position and another position at which the wire supporting arm components of the assembly can pass, during opening and closing movements of the gate, below the wire supporting. arms that are mounted on the adjacent fence posts of the structure. In accord with certain aspects of the invention, manually manipulatable means are provided on the gate for pivotally moving the lateral wire support assembly and an arrangement is provided for simultaneously locking the gate in a closed position and the lateral wire supporting assembly of the gate in its gate ascension barricading position as will be subsequently seen.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence section having an accessway that is equipped with a gate having ascension barricading components embodying the principals of the invention, the gate, being shown in a partially opened position and with the gate ascension barricading components in a pivotally offset position enabling movement of the gate between its open and closed positions;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of a fragment of the structure as seen transversely of the common plane of the fixed structural components of the fence and illustrates the means for supporting one end of the rollaway type gate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and illustrates the gate in a nearly closed position with the gate ascension barricading components in the barricading position; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of fragments of the fence structure as seen when the gate is locked in the closed position and the gate ascension barricade is locked in its barricading position.

Reference is now made to the drawings and wherein a fence section 10 that is equipped with an ascension barricade l1 embodying the principals of the invention is shown as having a pair of upright fence posts 12 and 13. These posts are mounted in the ground and spaced apart to provide an opening for accessway 14 through the structure. The section 10 includes a gate 15 of the rollaway type, and the gate is equipped at its top 16 with a lateral wire supporting assembly 17. This assembly 17 is mounted for pivotal movement about a hori' zontal axis 18 between an operating position 19 as a gate ascension barricade and a pivotally offset position 20 at which the gate may be rolled and moved between its open and closed positions.

The fixed portion of the fence section that is illustrated comprises a horizontally extending bottom rail 21 and a horizontally extending top rail 22 that is vertically spaced from the bottom rail 21. These rails 21 and 22 are mounted on the fence posts in the fixed position of the fence structure, and between the rails 21 and 22 the section 10 is equipped with a wire mesh fabric 23. This fabric 23 is appropriately secured by means not shown to the rails and fence posts and in the fence section is supported in the generally vertical plane that is common to the fence posts 12 and 13 which define the fence opening 14.

The gate comprises a rigid, rectangular frame structure 25 which includes vertically arranged opposite end members 26 and 27 that are spaced apart and rigidly interconnected by elongated, horizontally extending top and bottom frame members 28 and 29. Intermediate the parallel top and bottom frame members 28 and 29, the frame 25 is strengthened by a center member 31 which is fixed at its opposite ends to the upright end members 26 and 27 as seen in the drawings. The gate 15 also has a wire mesh fabric which is secured to the frame, by means not shown, in the generally vertical plane defined by the frame components.

At the lock end 32 of the gate, the gate is supported on a wheel assembly 33 that includes a pair of ground wheels 34 that are rotatably mounted at the opposite ends of a shaft 35 which extends transversely of the plane of the gate frame. Shaft 35 is fixed in a sleeve 36 that is fixed at the corner 37 of the frame as seen in the drawings.

At the other end 38 of the gate, the gate is supported on a pair of vertically spaced and horizontally extending tubular sections 40 and 41. These sections 40 and 41 are mounted on and extend between fence posts 13 and the adjacent fence post (not shown) at the same side of the fence opening 14. Sections 40 and 41 serve as tracks for a pair of vertically spaced and peripherally grooved gate supporting wheels 42 and 43. These wheels 42 and 43 are rotatably mounted on pins which are in turn mounted on end frame member 27 at the fence post side 44 of the gate frame. The gate is also equipped with another pair of grooved wheels 45 and 46 which, as seen in FIG. 2, by reference to wheel 42 are similarly mounted on the end member 27 but which underlie the tubular track sections to limit vertical movement of the gate and thus to prevent dislodgement of the gate from its supported position on the tracks. As thus mounted, the gate 15 is movable at one side 47 of the fence section between its open and closed positions and in a vertical plane which is parallel to that common to the fence posts 12 and 13. The gate illustrated is of the rollaway type but the principles of the invention may be readily embodied in a gate structure of the cantilever type which, as is well known to those skilled in the art, is wholly supported on the fixed components of the fence structure.

The barricade 11 to the ascension of the fixed portion of the fence structure includes a plurality of barbed wire lengths 49 that are supported at the opposite sides 47 and 48 of the fence structure on laterally extending inclined arms. These arms are fixed at the upper ends 51 of the fence posts as illustrated by reference to posts 12 and 13. The lateral wire supporting arms at the gate side 47 of the fence section, as illustrated by reference to the pair of arms 52 that are fixed at the upper ends of the posts 12 and 13, and are arranged in a common plane that is inclined to the vertical plane that is common to the gate posts 12 and 13. The lateral wire support arm 53 at the opposite side 48 of the fence section are similarly fixed to the upper ends of the posts in an inclined arrangement so that barbed wire lengths are laterally supported at both sides of the fence structure and provide a barrier to the ascension of the section.

The barricading section 55 on the gate 15 comprises the pivotally movable lateral wire supporting assembly 17 previously mentioned. This assembly 17 is mounted at the top 16 of the gate 15 and includes an elongated tubular member 56 that is supported on a pair of brackets 57 and 58. These brackets 57 and 58 are fixed to the upper ends of the opposite end members 26 and 27 of frame 25, and each extends laterally of the adjacent side 59 of the gate. Each of the brackets 57 and 58 has an attached sleeve component 60 that is fixed to the bracket in alignment with the other sleeve, and the elongated tubular member 56 extends through and is supported in the sleeve 60 at its opposite ends for pivotal movement about its longitudinal axis 18. Member 56 is provided with end caps 62 that are fixed in place and bear against the sleeve 60 to limit axial movement of the assembly.

The pivotally movable tubular member 56 has a pair of barbed wire 67 supporting arms 64 that are arranged in parallel and fixed to the tubular member adjacent to the sleeves 60 at the opposite ends of the assembly. At the operating position 19 for the section 55, these arms 64 project laterally of the gate side 44 that faces the fixed fence portion and hence extend through the plane common to the pair of fixed arms 52 on posts 12 and 13. In this position the arms 64 would accordingly obstruct movement of the gate to the open position. The gate barricading section 55 also includes another pair of wire supporting arms 65. These arms are welded to the lower ends of arm 64 in a prallel arrangement at which the barbed wire 66 is laterally supported at the side 59 of the gate which is opposite side 44.

Assembly 17 is pivotally movable from its barricading position 19 to an offset position 20 shown in FIG. 1. At this position 20 of pivotal movement, the wire supporting arms 64 and are located below the plane that is common to the fixed arms 52 at the gate side 47 of the fence structure, and hence the gate can be moved between its open and closed positions.

Gate 15 is equipped with a mechanism 70 that is manually manipulatable to pivotally move the assembly between positions 19 and 20. This mechanism 70 can be secured to post 12 to lock the gate in the closed position and to also lock the assembly in its barricading position 19. Mechanism 70 includes an open ended hollow sleeve component 71 that is fixed by a bracket 72 to the upright end member 26 of frame 25. It has a tubular member 73 which extends through and is axially movable in the sleee. At its upper end, the member 73 is linked by a bar 74 to a crank arm 75 which extends radially of the pivot axis 18 for assembly 17 and which is fixed to the adjacent end cap 62. Bar 74 is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the crank arm 75 and to member 73 by pivot pins designated at 76. Member 73 has radially extending components 77 that serve as handles for manipulating the mechanism 70. When member 73 is thrust upwardly to the position shown at FIG. 1, the assembly pivotally rotates to its offset position 20 by virtue of the movement imparted to the crank 75 through the link bar 74. On the other hand, when member 73 is pulled down to the position shown in FIG. 3, the lateral wire supporting assembly 17 is rotated to the operating position 19 shown therein. The handles on member 73 under such circumstances serve to limit further downward movement of member 73 and thus serve to establish the barricading position for the assembly.

The lower end of member 73 carries a bar 78 which is pivotally connected to the member by a pivot pin 79. Post 12 has an open ended hollow element 80 that is fixed to the post by a bracket 81. When the assembly 17 is in the offset position 20 and the gate 15 is moved to the closed position at which the bar 78 may be vertically aligned with the opening 82 through element 80, member 73 may be drawn downwardly to rotate the assembly 17 to its operating position 19 and simultaneously cause the bar 78 to pass through the opening 82 in element 80. When this is done, a simple lock 82 may be inserted in an aperture at the lower end of the bar 78 to prevent upward movement 73 and hence to lock the gate in the closed position and simultaneously lock the lateral wire supporting assembly in its operating position 19.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended herein to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A fence structure that has opposite sides and comprises a pair of upright fence posts that are spaced apart to define an opening through the structure, a gate which is located in a closed position in the opening and horizontally movable to an open position adjacent one of said posts in a vertical plane that is located at one of said sides in parallel with the plane common to said posts, and a barricade to the ascension of said fence structure, said barricade comprising a pair of lateral wire supporting arms which are fixed at the upper ends of the respective posts in a common plane that is inclined to the common plane of said posts, and a lateral wire supporting assembly which is carried by and mounted at the top of said gate for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axis between a first position and a second position, said assembly comprising a pair of parallel wire supporting arms which extend through the inclined common plane at said first position and which are located at said one side and below said inclined common plane at said second position.

2. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 comprising means carried by said gate and manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and second position.

3. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said pivot axis is laterally offset from the top of said gate.

4. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said gate comprises a rigid, generally rectangular frame having vertically arranged opposite end members which are respectively located adjacent said posts at said closed position, where the one of said members adjacent the other of said posts has means mounted thereon and manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and said second position.

5. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said gate comprises a rigid, generally rectangular frame having vertically arranged opposite end members which are respectively located adjacent said posts at said closed position, and means manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and said second position, where the one of said frame members adjacent the other of said posts has a vertically extending sleeve fixed thereto, where said means comprises elongated means extending through and linearly slidable along the axis of the sleeve, means connected to the elongated means and to said assembly for linking sliding movement of the elongated means to pivotal movement of the assembly, and means connected to the elongated means and being fastenable to said other of said posts for locking said gate in said closed position and said assembly in said one position.

6. A fence structure having a fixed portion with spaced upright posts that define an opening in the structure, a gate located in a closed position in the opening and horizontally movable in a vertical plane between said closed position and an open position adjacent one of said upright posts, and a barricade to the ascension of the structure comprising a first lateral wire supporting arm mounted on said one fence post, a second wire supporting arm mounted at the top of said gate in a position to collide with the first wire supporting arm during opening movement of the gate, means establishing a horizontal pivot axis for pivotal movement of the second wire supporting arm to a position at which the second wire supporting arm passes below the first wire supporting arm during opening movement of the gate, and means mounted on the gate and manipulatable to pivotally move said second wire supporting arm about said axis. 

1. A fence structure that has opposite sides and comprises a pair of upright fence posts that are spaced apart to define an opening through the structure, a gate which is located in a closed position in the opening and horizontally movable to an open position adjacent one of said posts in a vertical plane that is located at one of said sides in parallel with the plane common to said posts, and a barricade to the ascension of said fence structure, said barricade comprising a pair of lateral wire supporting arms which are fixed at the upper ends of the respective posts in a common plane that is inclined to the common plane of said posts, and a lateral wire supporting assembly which is carried by and mounted at the top of said gate for pivotal movement about a horizontal pivot axis between a first position and a second position, said assembly comprising a pair of parallel wire supporting arms which extend through the inclined common plane at said first position and which are located at said one side and below said inclined common plane at said second position.
 2. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 comprising means carried by said gate and manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and second position.
 3. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said pivot axis is laterally offset from the top of said gate.
 4. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said gate comprises a rigid, generally rectangular frame having vertically arranged opposite end members which are respectively located adjacent said posts at said closed position, where the one of said members adjacent the other of said posts has means mounted thereon and manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and said second position.
 5. A fence structure in accord with claim 1 where said gate comprises a rigid, generally rectangular frame having vertically arranged opposite end members which are respectively located adjacent said posts at said closed position, and means manually manipulatable to pivotally move said assembly between said first position and said second position, where the one of said frame members adjacent the other of said posts has a vertically extending sleeve fixed thereto, where said means comprises elongated means extending through and linearly slidable along the axis of the sleeve, means connected to the elongated means and to said assembly for linking sliding movement of the elongated means to pivotal movement of the assembly, and means connected to the elongated means and being fastenable to said other of said posts for locking said gate in said closed position and said assembly in said one position.
 6. A fence structure having a fixed portion with spaced upright posts that define an opening in the structure, a gate located in a closed position in the opening and horizontally movable in a vertical plane between said closed position and an open position adjacent one of said upright posts, and a barricade to the ascension of the structure comprising a first lateral wire supporting arm mounted on said one fencE post, a second wire supporting arm mounted at the top of said gate in a position to collide with the first wire supporting arm during opening movement of the gate, means establishing a horizontal pivot axis for pivotal movement of the second wire supporting arm to a position at which the second wire supporting arm passes below the first wire supporting arm during opening movement of the gate, and means mounted on the gate and manipulatable to pivotally move said second wire supporting arm about said axis. 